Olympic Swimmers In Filty River Seine In Paris

The Olympics begin today, and among them are a large number of swimming events to take place on the Seine. It is one of the dirtiest big-city rivers in the Western world. Although several city and national officials have jumped in, the question remains open if it is safe. (No one has said whether any of these people became sick.)
According to The Wall Street Journal, “Last year, organizers were forced to cancel a test event in the river because the water was deemed unsafe. In February, the levels of harmful bacteria were 20 times above the safety threshold set by World Triathlon, the sport’s world governing body.” There is also little evidence of a scientific way to make the water cleaner. The government could prevent the dumping of waste and close some sewers and that might have some effect.
The Seine debacle is just one of many examples of how cities cannot control the pollution they create. There are fairly few cities with safe water that has not been treated. This is particularly true in many of the largest cities in Asia. Until recently, America’s cities and large lakes were among the dirtiest in the world. At one point, Lake Erie was considered dangerous to swim in. Fertilizer that runs into the western part of the lake still causes huge algae blooms that kill off fish and other wildlife.
It is too early to say whether Olympic water events will be canceled, but it could happen.
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